Sucker Love is Heaven Sent
by FranklyMyDear23
Summary: <html><head></head>Draco is the richest, most popular boy at Kingswright Academy, and also the biggest jerk. Hermione is the quiet girl who is only at Kingswright due to high grades and scholarships. What happens when Draco is dared to make Hermione fall in love with him by the end of semester break? Will he be able to sweep her off her feet, or will it be him falling head over heels?</html>
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This idea came to me today thanks to a Tumblr post! This is totally AU, maybe OOC in some parts. But I just wanted to write this and have some fun with it. If you don't like it, that's fine. I'm mostly just writing it to play around with an idea of mine. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy it. **

**Summary: Basically, Harry Potter (Draco-centric) set in modern time, and no wizardry. I know, that's most of the fun. But its hard for me to write the wizarding world correctly so yeah. Give it a chance though! **

**Disclaimer: AU, OOC, and I do not own Harry Potter or the characters.**

**Plot: Draco Malfoy is the richest most popular boy at Kingswright Academy and also the biggest jerk. Hermione Granger is the quiet girl who is only at Kingswright due to high grades and scholarships. What happens when Draco is dared to make Hermione fall in love with him by the end of semester break? Will he be able to sweep her off her feet, or will it be him falling head over heels?**

Chapter One

Draco Malfoy stood on the cobble stone drive, watching the butler load his silver Mercedes convertible with his black Prada luggage. The summer was finally coming to a close, but the weather was as warm as ever. With a shake of his head, Malfoy tossed the bangs from his forehead. He shifted his weight slightly, wondering what the hell was taking the butler so long to load up his luggage. He wanted to be on the road already. Kingswright Academy was a two hour drive, and he wanted to be there already catching up with his friends. He hadn't seen Vincent and Gregory since the end of last term. Vincent's family had gone off to spend the holiday in Italy and Gregory had been forced to vacation with his grandparents in New Hampshire. Sure there was email but no one ever seemed to have the time or be bothered to write. Malfoy sure couldn't be bothered to. But just the same, it would have been nice to have received some correspondence while on break.

He glanced back at Malfoy Manor, a vast brick structure consisting of the main house, the servants quarters in the back, and the garages which housed the family cars. There was also a tennis court and a swimming pool towards the back of the property. Inside the house, he could have almost anything he wanted. There were flat screen TVs in almost every room. He had his own entertainment den consisting of a flat screen, surround sound, the latest gaming consoles, a pool table, and air hockey. Of course, those things get very dull very quickly when you are the only one using them. Malfoy eyed the structure - it was almost impossible to call it a home - one last time. He wouldn't miss it. At Kingswright, he at least had companions and was away from his mother's shaking, his father's fists, and the sound of ice clinking in crystal - a sound that made his skin prickle.

"Everything is all loaded, Master Draco," the butler, James, bowed and stepped back from the Mercedes.

"Very well," Malfoy took the key from James.

"Have a safe travel, and an excellent semester at school, Master Draco."

Draco stiffened slightly. More of a goodbye than his parents had given him. He had gone into his mother's room to tell her he was off, only to find her in her usual state. She was lying in her king size bed that overflowed with pillows. Her eyes were closed and there was a short crystal glass lying on the carpet, liquid spilling out. She had dropped it as she slipped off to her dream-state. Draco had retrieved a towel from the bathroom and mopped at the spill. He gently put the crystal glass on her night stand. He had bent over her, kissed her cheek, and told her goodbye. Leaving her room, he shut her door behind him. He had thought about going to tell his father goodbye, but could hear him shouting on the phone through the heavy mahogony doors of his home office. So Draco had decided against it. Now here was James, giving him more of a goodbye than his own parents.

"Thank you, James," Malfoy nodded. Showing gratitude and appreciation was something his father told him equated to showing weakness. Draco Malfoy never thanked.

"Again, drive safely," James turned and stood on the cobble pathway, watching Draco start up the car and begin to drive off down the long drive.

Draco fiddled with the radio, finding his favorite station. He blasted the music trying to drown out his thoughts. But they were always louder than anything else. He thought of his mother, alone in that house - that prison. He thought of his father, and his hand went to the fading yellow bruise along his jawline. He thought of James, and how he had been the only one to wish him safe travels and a good semester. Draco chewed at the bottom of his lip. _They'll be fine, _he told himself, _they always get along just fine without me. Mom's got her pills and her booze, Dad's just fine. It'll all be fine. _But somehow he didn't quite believe that. They worried him. They had always worried him.

The drive was pretty easy. Traffic was a breeze. When Draco arrived at the large front gates of Kingswright Academy, he felt his stomach tighten with excitement. He was home. Or at least as close to a home as he'd ever known. He would have Vincent and Gregory to pass the time with. They were always all three cooking up new ways to get into trouble. With the Mafloys, Crabbes, and Goyles being some of the most prominent donors of Kingswright, most of the teachers and the school board looked the other way whenever trouble found them - or more correctly, when they found trouble. Draco was looking forward to keeping busy. It'd be totally opposite of his dull summer spent back at the Manor.

He pulled forward through the gates. Off to the North end of the academy there was the student parking. He pulled into the spot right in the front of the lot. Printed on a placard in front of the parking spot were the words, "Re severed Respectfully for D. Malfoy." Draco smirked, loving that. After parking his car, he unloaded his bags - one suitcase on wheels, and two large leather messenger bags. Slamming the trunk shut, Draco locked the car and headed towards his assigned dormitory that he'd shared with Vincent and Gregory for the past two years at Kingswright. They stayed in Slytherin Hall. It had one of the best courtyards and was the most up-to-date dormitories. They had the best amenities on campus.

As Draco was walking towards his dormitory, someone bumped right into him. He turned, angry and ready to lash out at whomever had had the nerve. He saw her, a girl with frizzy brown hair and mousy brown eyes, still looking at her map and not at who she'd just run into. Draco cleared his throat, waiting for an apology.

"Oh," she finally glanced up from the map, "I'm so sorry! I'm still trying to find my way around..."

Draco smirked - new blood, "That's quite alright," he plucked the map from her hands as she opened her mouth to protest, "Where are you trying to go?"

"Um...Gryffindor Hall. Do you know it?"

Draco smirked again, "I know every place on this campus," then, looking her up and down slowly added, "And everyone."

"I'm new this year," the girl explained, "I just transferred. I was waiting on scholarships to come through and for an opening to the academy. I was on a wait list for what seemed like forever!"

"Wait list?" Draco didn't even know they had those.

"Yeah," the girl blushed, "It's only for people who don't have an automatic 'in' to the school. Like children of the donors, the bloodlines, et cetera."

"They let people in who aren't donors or who don't have a bloodline?" Draco was a little taken back. His father prided himself on the fact that Draco was upholding a seven generation tradition, "There's scholarships?" He sort of wanted to tell his father about this. Did he know they were letting whomever into the gates of Kingswright? Surely not. He'd never agree to allow it. The school was founded on tradition and bloodlines. They wouldn't just let anyone be strolling around the grounds, would they? They wouldn't just let anyone in to their academy?

"If our grades are high enough," she explained, "I'm only here on a scholarship. My family could never afford a place like this out of pocket," she laughed nervously, "I'm just lucky to be here. It's one of the best schools..."

"In the country," Draco glared at her, now totally offended. He gingerly handed her her map back, holding it between his thumb and index finger as if it was harmful to him to touch, "Gryffindor Hall is across the East courtyard. About a five minute walk. You'll find it well enough."

"Couldn't you maybe...show me?"

Draco smiled tightly, "I don't think so."

He adjusted his messenger bags on his shoulder and continued his walk towards Slytherin Hall. Still, he could not believe that Kingswright allowed for such a thing like scholarships. He dug his cell phone out from his jacket pocket and dialed his father's number. On the third ring, Lucius Malfoy answered.

"Yes?" The cool voice, slick and silk responded.

"Dad," Draco inhaled, "I made it to Kingswright."

"Good. What did you need to call me about?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you knew that they were allowing...outsiders in. People who don't have bloodlines to the school. People who can't even afford to be here. They...they offer scholarships!" Draco spat out as if the words made him physically ill.

"I know," Lucius sighed, "I tried voting against it, but I was outnumbered. They see it as an...outreach program. They want everyone to be able to have a fair education and access to the academy's program."

"But...that's not fair!"

"I know, son. It's something new they've started. I didn't want to tell you about it because I didn't want it to stress you out before school staring," Draco couldn't help but smirk. Yeah. Like his father ever cared about his stressors in life. Him being the primary one. It was laughable. "Just try to get through the semester. They shouldn't bother you. They are outsiders. If anything, they will just simply keep to themselves."

"We can wish," Draco sighed, nearing his dormitory hall.

"Call me if you have anymore concerns. I can try to talk to the board and see what I can do. I've got to go now."

"Dad?"

"What is it?"

"Is mom awake yet?"

"How the bloody hell would I know what your mother does or does not do?"

"Well...could you have one of the servants check in on her? Just to make sure she's..."

"I don't have time. Good bye, son."

"Bye, dad."

Draco shook his head, depositing the cellphone back into his jacket pocket. He tried to push his parents out of his head. He was finally back at Kingswright. This was going to be a good year. He was going to see to that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. It was not my intent. This past weekend we had to put our cat down. It was so incredibly sudden. Even our vet was shocked. Its been tough, but we are slowly starting to heal and mend. Thank you for your patience. **

**Thank you so, so much for the feedback! I'm so glad people actually like this lol that makes me so happy! Also, for those wondering, the title comes from the song, "Every Me and Every You" by Placebo. It's an awesome song. I suggest going to listen to it on YouTube or at least looking up the lyrics. It's pretty awesome. Anyway, thank you again. You're awesome!**

Chapter Two

"Draco!" Vincent stood from the stuffed leather couch, "What's up, man!"

Draco sat his bags down in the living area floor to shake hands with Vincent and Gregory's hands. They hadn't changed one bit over the summer. Vincent Crabbe was still very large, towering over Draco as he shook his hand. Draco always thought he looked slightly gargoyle-ish. He couldn't help but make the comparison. As he shook Vincent's hand, Gregory came out of his bedroom. He nodded towards Draco and shook his hand as well. Gregory was definitely the better looking of Draco's roommates, not that that was saying much.

"How was your summer?" Gregory asked.

"Fine," Draco shrugged, careful never to reveal too much to his friends. Best keep your friends at a safe distance - that's what his father had always said. Right along with someone along the lines of everyone wanting to trample over you to get to their end. Draco had tried to push the words out of his head, but somehow whenever he met someone, his father was right there in his head saying, "Draco, you best be careful, son. Everyone will walk over everyone else to get to what they want. Friendships are weakness." Vincent and Gregory were the first real friends Draco had had. Away from his father's watchful eye, he was free to actually make companions.

"Boring as all hell, am I right?" Vincent laughed, slumping back down onto the couch, propping his feet up on the glass coffee table.

"Alright," Draco chuckled, "Maybe slightly boring as all hell. But my boys, we have a whole summer to make up for. We have trouble to find."

"Ah yes," Gregory took a seat in the matching leather chair next to the couch, "What do you have in mind for our first week back? Tormenting the first years? You know, my brother still has that pet python. We can stick him in the showers of the year one dormitories."

"Not too bad," Draco rubbed his chin in thought, "But I think we need something a bit more. You gentlemen think on it a bit while I go and unpack. I've had a long drive. We will regroup over dinner tonight in the dining hall. We can discuss whatever plans we've thought up by then."

Draco grabbed his bags and disappeared into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. One thing his father had insisted upon was each student having their own bedroom in the suit of their dormitory. The dormitories were all divided up into suites shared by three or more students. Each student had their own bedroom. There was a communal bathroom. Though Lucius had objected to that, there wasn't much he could do. So everyone had to share a communal bathroom on each floor of each dormitory.

Draco set his bags on top of his bed and glanced around his room. He had missed it. This bedroom felt more to him like his own than the bedroom back at the manor. He had his family crest thumb-tacked to the wall, along with a poster of his favorite band. He also had pennants with the school colors tacked to the walls as well. No family pictures. Nothing too personal. Along one wall was his desk, still just as tidy and organized as when he had left. His computer screen had a layer of dust which Draco wiped clear with the sleeve of his jacket. It was a bit musky. Opening the window, Draco took a breath of the fresh air. Even the air felt different here. Not so weighed down with the tensions of a broken family.

He began to unpack his bags. He hung his clothes up neatly in his closet before starting on making the bed. Black sheets. Black blanket. Black pillow cases. All the finest linens imported from somewhere he'd already forgotten. When he was satisfied with how his room looked, Draco walked back towards his closet with the sliding mirror doors. He glanced at his reflection. Turning his head into the light, he ran his fingertips along the yellow bruise of his jawline. Scowling, Draco tried to at least be thankful that it had faded significantly. There was no way Lucius would send him back to school with fresh marks on him - at least not visible ones. Giving into temptation, Draco lifted up his shirt to reveal the purple bruises knotting down his rib cage. Working up his courage, he tested a deep breath. Big mistake. Draco clutched at his side, struggling not to wince. He pulled the shirt back down. _Fuck him! _

Running his hand through his hair, he styled his bangs like he liked, then headed back out to meet up with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Did you guys here that they've let in outsiders to Kingswright?" Draco asked, adjusting his jacket as they headed out the door.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Crabbe shuddered, "Why?"

"Beats me," Draco shoved his hands deep into his jacket pocket, "Something about everyone needing fair access to the education offered here."

"That's bullshit," Goyle grumbled, "This school is founded on the blood lines of our ancestors. Everyone here has a rich history with this school. Kingswright is in our blood."

"Amen," Draco nodded, "I even met one of them today. This girl had the gall to run right into me because she was looking at a map."

"A map!" Goyle laughed, as if _he_ hadn't used a map his first year to find his way around.

"I know," Draco cackled, "She looked totally lost. Sure as hell doesn't belong here. Luckily we're in advanced classes so we shouldn't have to interact with outsiders like that. There's no way they have the prior education to be in the advanced programs," Draco puffed out his chest ever so slightly, "We should have no problem with them."

"Still, the thought of them on this campus," Crabbe shook his head, "Isn't there anything your father can do about it?"

"Unfortunately, no. He was outvoted. Apparently lots of people on the board were all for making Kingswright more accessible. Hell, they've even offered scholarship programs now."

"Who knows what kind of riff-raff that'll allow!" Goyle added, his foot steps turning into stomps as his anger brewed, "I'm telling you, man - this shit ain't right."

"I know," Draco shook his head, "Just because it's the way it is now doesn't mean we have to like it or accept it."

"I say we chase those outsiders out of our school," Crabbe's voice was rising. Draco had to admit, it sounded like a good idea. If the school was going to just allow them to come into their academy, the least Draco could do was try to get them to leave. It was the only chance they'd have at restoring Kingswright to what it once was.

"Agreed," Draco nodded, "We have an obligation here to our school. We cannot just sit back and let it be overrun by people who have no right to be here."

"So what's the plan?"

"We'll talk about it over dinner."

They trio made their way to the dining hall stationed in the middle of campus. It was a vast hall filled with bench-style tables. As soon as they opened the doors, they were greeted with the overwhelming aromas of freshly made meals. Herbs, spices, sweets. Draco inhaled, savoring the smell. He wished he could bottle this smell up and take it back to the manor with him during break.

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle took their seats at a table towards the back of the dining hall. The front had a huge banquet table reserved for the teachers and headmaster. During the meal, the headmaster as well as a few selected teachers would make opening remarks, welcoming the students back to Kingswright. It was the same thing each year, and Draco would find it totally dull if not for the delicious food. Not long after taking their seats, their water glasses were filled, and menus were placed in front of them with the options of beef wellington, chicken and herb pasta, or fish and herb pasta. The students could also pick soup or salad, and of course - dessert! They boys placed their orders and began to set about their usual hobby of people watching.

It was then that Draco saw her. She was standing in the middle of the dining hall, looking around for a seat. God, just looking at her made his skin crawl. Why the hell was she just standing there? Where were her roommates? Could she not eat with them? _God, just go sit down already! _She turned her head glancing around for an empty seat. There were dozens. She was trying to size up who to sit by. She was alone and she wanted someone that'd make her feel less alone. God, she made him sick. Draco chewed on a slice of bread as he continued to watch her. He was smirking, it was sort of entertaining.

And then she did the unforgivable.

Her eyes landed right on Draco. He had been spotted. He quickly looked from Crabbe to Goyle, trying to find a way out. Maybe someone would sit down at the empty seat across from him. Someone. Anyone else but her. But no one did. And she was headed over to him. Draco cringed. What was wrong with her?

"Hi," she waved cheerfully, "Remember me?"

"The girl who barged into me like a tornado," Draco nodded, "How could I forget?"

She blushed furiously, "Sorry about that again! I did find my dorm though. So thank you for your directions."

Draco frowned. He hadn't done anything to be helpful. He had just been trying to get rid of her. Couldn't she take a hint? Seeing as how she took a seat across from him, Draco assumed she couldn't.

"Um...what are you doing?" Draco raised an eyebrow. He tried to ignore the snorts from Crabbe and Goyle.

"Well, you were the one who was nicest to me on my first day here," she blushed again, tucking a strand of frizz - Draco wasn't sure if it could be called hair - behind her ear, "And I was just hoping I could sit with you. Thank you again."

"Uh...no problem," Draco was confused. How could she had mistaken that for kindness? What was wrong with this chic? Draco nibbled on his slice of bread, "Lift your head up." She glanced up shyly. Draco looked her over, sizing her up. She had huge brown eyes. Like the biggest brown eyes Draco had ever seen. And she still had that lost, deer-in-the-headlights look. She had some freckles on her nose, and Draco thought to himself that the girl really should invest in some makeup. And a hair straightner. Good lord. It was like a wild animal had crawled on top of her hair and died.

"Draco, who's the girlfriend?" Crabbe laughed. She lowered her gaze back to her lap and Draco sneered.

"What is your name anyway? It's the least you can tell us if you're going to be sitting here tonight."

"Hermione. Hermione Granger."

"Ew," Draco raised an eyebrow again, "Please tell me that's not your real name."

"Um...it is," Hermione glanced around nervously. She was second-guessing her decision to sit there. Draco could tell. She wanted to stand up and leave - go sit somewhere else. But by now it was too late. A waiter was already approaching her to take her order. Hermione lowered her gaze again to her hands, folded neatly in her lap. She just needed to get through this one dinner. Then she'd never have to see these boys again. She should never have sat there. It had been a mistake thinking that he had even been nice to her. Clearly he'd just wanted to be rid of her. Why was she always so horrible at reading certain signs? Hermione sighed, glancing over the menu before her. She would just keep to herself. Not cause trouble. Then, once dinner was over, she'd go back to her dorm and would stay far away from these boys. Their eyes were cruel. She hated it - hated the way they watched her as if they could see through her.

"What can I get for you tonight, Miss?" The waiter asked.

"Um...the beef wellington," Hermione answered, still blushing, "And a salad."

"For dessert?"

"No dessert, please."

Draco sighed and tried to mentally send her away. Maybe if he concentrated hard enough, she'd finally get the hint and leave.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, him, blinking.

"Uh, yeah?"

"You're squinting at me."

"Oh," shit. Draco took a sip of his water. Who did she think she was anyway? She had some nerve sitting with them. Then again, outsiders weren't exactly the most civil or the most educated of people. Draco couldn't exactly blame her for her lacking upbringing. But then again, who was he kidding? Of course he could. When their plate came out, Hermione picked at her food as she talked to no one in particular.

"I am just so excited to be here," she gushed, shoveling a bite of salad in her mouth. After all, she had figured she might as well just make the best of this. If they weren't going to be friendly, that wasn't going to keep her from being, "I've heard so much about Kingswright and I've always wanted to attend. When the school opened up, I just couldn't believe it. And then to get a scholarship! It's such a blessing. I know I am going to love it here. The program seems really great. I'm taking advanced classes..."

Draco choked on his dinner. He had to spit up the already chewed up bite of food in his mouth into his napkin, "Excuse me?" There was no way he had heard that right. Kingswright would never allow for outsiders to be admitted into the advanced classes. There was just no way. Surely he hadn't heard her correctly. There had to be some sort of mistake.

"I'm taking advanced classes," Hermione repeated, "My first class tomorrow is Humanities with Doctor Stein."

"Hey Draco," Vincent nudged him, "Isn't that your first class too?"

Draco swore he was going to be sick.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you for being patient with me! Life has kind of gotten in the way of my writing, but I'm back. Thank you so much for the positive response towards this story! It means a lot. And thank you again for being patient!**

Chapter Three

"I cannot fucking believe it!" Draco was fuming as he, Vincent, and Gregory headed back to their dormitory, "I do not know what the world has come to, but this is madness! Outsiders being allowed to come to our school! And being allowed to take advanced classes! Like...like they're us? Like they have bloodlines. It's an insult. It is an absolute insult to the past generations. We have to do something, my boys. We have to get her out of Kingswright!"

"Her?" Vincent raised an eyebrow. He and Gregory shot one another a sidelong glance.

"Them!" Draco corrected, "All of them. But...we can start with her. She'll be the easiest. Once she's gone, we can go for the others."

"But how are we going to make her leave?" Gregory asked, "She is in love with this school already."

"Love?" Draco could almost feel the cogs rotating in his head. Love. Love and war. What brought countries to ruin? What brought fearless conquerors to their knees? What had the power to destroy anyone?

"Yeah," Vincent chuckled, "it's a wonder she didn't have the Alma Mater as her ringtone."

"Probably does," Gregory broke into a fit of laughter.

"Her home screen is the school colors," Vincent roared.

"She gets a call and just lets it ring so she can hear the school song," Gregory buckled underneath his laughter.

"Enough!" Draco raised a hand, "Boys," he cleared his throat, a plan hatching in his head, "Hermione Granger is a girl. A woman, if you will. And what is a woman's ultimate weakness?" Vincent and Gregory both shrugged, "Love, gentlemen! Love! If you want to strike a woman where it hurts, you go for the heart. It is most easily penetrated and can cause even the most powerful women to crumble into nothing. You follow?"

"Sure," Vincent shrugged, trying his best to follow Draco's line of thought, "But what does that have to do with us getting rid of her?"

"Someone here has to break her heart. Shatter it. Obliterate it. Destroy it. Annihilate it. Totally break her so she has no other choice but to leave and never look back. Make it so she cannot stand to be here anymore. Someone has to destroy her," Draco was seething with an anger he didn't quite understand.

"You could do it," Gregory offered, "You could make her fall for you. Flirt with her a bit. Make her think she's special. Maybe even date her. And then kick her sorry ass to the curb."

"Me?" Draco held up his hands in surrender, "I want no contact with that girl. Someone else is just going to have to be the one to do it. One of you fine gentlemen for example. But I can't. I won't. In order for this plan to work, someone is going to have to get close enough to her to hurt her. And there is no way I am getting close to that excuse of a girl. She's...nope. Not doing it. No fucking way."

"I dare you," Vincent's lips pulled back revealing a toothy grin. Draco's ears prickled. Oh how dare he! He knew full-well that Draco could not turn down a dare. He'd have to do it now. He'd have to be the one to get close enough to Hermione Granger to crush her. Draco felt his blood bubble in his veins. The very thought was enough to make him want to expel his dinner.

"You bastard!" Draco turned on him, "You dirty bastard! Fine," he caved. He knew he didn't have any choice in the matter now, "I'll do it. I'll make her fall in love with me - which shouldn't be difficult considering... - and then I will crush her. The whole mess shouldn't take longer than a month tops. And then she will be out of here never to return again. She'll pack her bags and be gone for good, my men! And I will start tomorrow. Humanities. With Doctor Stein."

Gregory clapped Draco on the back, "This is going to be awesome!"

Draco tried not to wince under the pain, "Well, what can I say," Draco smirked, "I've quite the reputation for being a genius."

"Evil genius!"

"Bow before me," Draco swung his bangs out of his hair, willing his brain not to register the pain, "The master is back on campus!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: For those of you saying that you don't really know what to think about this story...I don't know what to think either lol the idea just came to me and I knew if I didn't write it out I'd drive myself crazy so yeah. We're kind of on this adventure together to see where this goes. But I am glad you're enjoying the ride!**

Chapter Four

Draco Malfoy started his day by first grooming himself in the mirror. He needed to be sure he looked especially nice today. Not only it being the first day of school, but his first day at their plan to destroy Hermione Granger. Even the sound of her name in his head felt like nails on a chalkboard. Draco tried to remind himself that this would all be worth it once she was gone from Kingswright for good. He squirted some gel into his palm, rubbed his hands together, and ran the gel through his hair. Then he pulled on his tight black t-shirt and dark-wash jeans. He'd worn a jacket yesterday, and checked his reflection in the mirror for any visible marks now that he was just in a t-shirt. He found none. Lucius had been careful. Never leave any bruise that would be visible or not fade in time if going to be visible in the future. This reminded Draco to examine his ribs. The bruise was fading and changing colors, but every breath felt like a fresh kick in his side. All for forgetting to put the orange juice back in the fridge.

Draco ran his finger tips along the bruise, wincing at the touch. It hadn't always been like this with his father. Things had gotten worse when his job became more stressful. Draco had been about twelve when Lucius had decided Draco wasn't the little boy he'd been able to get along with in the past. Draco was older, developing into his own person. Things Lucius hadn't been able to stand. So he tried to control Draco as much as he could. And that included the beatings. Draco pulled down his shirt, thanking his lucky stars he was at Kingswright and not at the manor - that prison.

His heart went out to his mother though. She was still locked up there with no escape.

This was all the more reason to want to preserve Kingswright Academy. It was the only home Draco had known for a long, long time. His companions there were the only family he felt like he had. The last thing he needed was outsiders mucking that all up. Kingswright was founded on bloodline and tradition. Going to Kingswright made Draco feel connected to his grandfathers whom he never got to met - fathers he never knew. Kingswright was more than just a school. Kingswright was a way of life for him. A way of survival. And Hermione Granger and other outsiders were tying to take that away. But he'd stop them. He'd see to that. Starting with Hermione, he'd make them leave with their tails between their legs.

After finishing up his grooming, Draco threw his Prada backpack over one shoulder and headed out the dormitory to Humanities. Humanities with Doctor Stein and Hermione Granger.

Draco made his way across campus. When he found the correct building and room number, he opened the door and found that Hermione was already there. She was sitting front and center. Draco groaned. Of course she'd be. Where else did brownnosers sit? Sighing, Draco threw his backpack at the legs of the desk next to hers, and slipped into the chair. God, she was already reading out of the textbook. Draco rolled his eyes. _Pull it together, Draco. Everything you're doing is to destroy her. Now, get at it!_

"Hey," Draco leaned towards her, "Don't tell me there was assigned reading I didn't know about."

Hermione's eyes lifted off the pages and towards him. At first she just blinked at him. Draco soured. Was she really pretending not to know who he was?

"Draco," Hermione finally said, "What are you doing here?"

"Uh...waiting for class to start?"

"I meant why are you sitting with me?" She asked, folding the book shut, "Last night at dinner you made it evident you wanted nothing to do with me. So...what are your motives, here?"

"Motives?" Draco ran a hand through his hair. Okay, so she was smarter than he'd originally given her credit for. No problem. He loved a challenge.

"Motives." Hermione repeated plainly.

"No motives. I just thought you might appreciate a familiar face. But if you'd like, I can go sit some place else..."

Hermione sighed. It was just one class. She could live with Draco sitting next to her for one class, right? Besides, once Doctor Stein came in, they'd begin lecture and she could focus on that. "Fine," Hermione tapped her pen against the textbook, "Stay there. Once class starts it'll be easier to ignore your presence."

"Have I offended you?"

Hermione let out a laugh, "That's rich, Draco. After what you said last night at dinner, and how you and your friends were treating me. Yeah, you offended me. It happens though. You aren't the first person to hurt my feelings, Draco Malfoy, and you probably won't be the last. But I'm not going to give you the opportunity again. I'm keeping myself guarded from you, Draco."

Well, shit. Okay, so this was going to be harder than he had originally planned. Draco pulled his own notebook out of his backpack and dug around for a pencil, "I just think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm not as big a jerk as I tend to come across," he shot her one of fake-genuine glances, "Really. Let me prove it to you."

"God," Hermione cringed, turning away from him, "How many girls have you used that on?" Who was he kidding? Did he really expect her to just fall into his arms or at his feet after the way he'd behaved last night? He hadn't been able to stand her sitting at his table. And now here he was trying to charm her. Well it wasn't going to work. Whatever his game was, Hermione was not going to play. She folded her arms over her chest, determinedly.

"I'm not going to bite at what you're dangling, Draco. Find some other way to entertain yourself."

Draco opened his mouth to say something else - wanting to scold her and really tear her down for speaking so boldly to him - but Doctor Stein was now standing at the front of the class, tapping a stack of loose leaf papers on to the wooden podium in front of him. God. Draco hated teachers. Couldn't he just go sit at his desk and grade something and leave them to their conversation? He needed to dig into Hermione...but if he did that, it'd be going against the plan. Draco coolly sat back in his seat, propping his pencil behind his ear, and waited for Doctor Stein to begin the lecture. He'd just have to try again with Hermione after class. He wasn't miserable looking. He was really quite attractive. He had hundreds of girls phone numbers in his phone - all under names like "Redhead from Chemistry" and "One Night Stand 6/10." He could have any of those girls. He already _had_ those girls. But he could have them again tenfold. But Hermione...she was different. She wasn't buying his bullshit.

_Come on, Draco. The lion doesn't give up on his prey without a little bit of a fight first._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Draco spent the next three weeks both in and out of class, trying to get Hermione to pay attention, tear her walls down just a bit, and let him in. But she was stubborn. Almost as stubborn as he was. And so far, there had been no improvement. Hermione kept her hair down as if it were a curtain between them during class. When he'd walk towards her outside of class, in one of the hallways or courtyards, she'd turn and walk the other way. Vincent and Gregory were relentless. Draco was starting to think that desperate times called for desperate measures. None of the previous things he'd tried had worked. It was time for something different. Something not even Hermione could see coming, or say no to.

Hermione awoke one morning just the same as usual. She ran a hairbrush through the ratsnest of her hair. She brushed her teeth. She picked out, and put on, her outfit for the day. As she stood in front of the full-length mirror, she couldn't help but smile and feel mildly unstoppable. Her outfit looked cute - not just a mismatch of what she could find - and she'd even bothered to put on a little bit of makeup. She felt good. Nothing was going to go wrong today. Nothing would stand in her way.

Oh how wrong she was.

Someone was standing in her way. Quite literally in her way, actually. As Hermione opened the door of her dormitory to head out to class, Draco was standing right there. He glanced up when she opened the door. Hermione let out an exp aspirated groan. He was relentless. He'd spent the past few weeks trying to get on her good side for goodness knew what reason! Part of her wondered if he did truly feel bad for his sour behavior that first dinner. But the other part of her was starting to know him all too well by now. He was up to something. And he wasn't going to let her alone until he'd gotten what he wanted.

"You really are impossible, you know that right?" Hermione folded her arms across her chest. Draco peered up at her from behind his blonde bangs. Why did he have to be so attractive but his behavior so foul? Hermione raised an eyebrow, waiting for some sort of explanation as to why he'd been camped out right outside of her door. It had better be a good one too. She had no more patience for his nonsense.

Draco wet his lips and rested his hand against the door frame, blocking her in, "I was just wondering if you'd like to grab a coffee. My treat."

"I have class," Hermione adjusted her messenger bag onto her shoulder, "and so do you."

"I can skip."

"Of course you can," another eye roll, "Can you kindly move out of my way?"

"'Fraid not," a smirk played at his lips, "Not until you agree to get coffee with me anyway."

"This is trespassing, you know," Hermione shook her head, "I could call security."

"And they'd call my father and it'd be your ass on the line, hon - not mine."

Hermione cringed. He'd taken to calling her 'hon' about the second week of his annoying attempts at getting her to show him a little attention. The first time he had said it caused little goosebumps to prickle at the back of her neck. She'd briskly brushed past him, trying to outwardly ignore the nickname as much as she possibly could. But she couldn't ignore the butterflies in her stomach. No guy had ever called her a term of endearment before. But she'd tried unsuccessfully to remind herself that this was Draco Malfoy and any terms of endearment were tainted with ulterior motives.

Half way through the second week, she'd been walking to the dining hall, nose in a book, when he'd come up behind her and casually swung his arm over her should. A week before, she would have jerked out from underneath his touch, called him out on his behavior, and moved on. But she hadn't done any of that. Instead, she'd stayed frozen under the weight of his arm casually swung over her. He'd rattled on about how her nose permanently resided in books, and Hermione had continued to read - or at least pretended to.

Now, week three, he was standing outside of her dormitory - refusing to let her pass. The cogs turned inside her head as Hermione tried to make sense of his behavior. If he had some ulterior motives, wouldn't he have grown bored by this point? After all, it had been three weeks. Three very long, strange weeks. And he wasn't giving up. Anything, he'd gotten worse.

Draco raised an eyebrow, drumming his fingers on the door frame. She couldn't say no. Not this time. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. Two front teeth rested ponderingly on her bottom lip. Was she finally breaking? Had he finally worn her down enough? Was this really it? He could feel it. He was winning. And then he would start on phase two - getting her to fall in love with him. And then would be phase three - he'd crush her, break her heart, and she'd leave Kingswright for good. It was a fool proof plan. He'd known that all along. He had just needed to be a little patient.

"I have pepper spray," Hermione threatened, "And your crotch is in perfect vicinity of my foot..."

"Thinking about my crotch, Granger?" Draco moistened his lips again, "Interesting. I mean...I was going to ask you to coffee. But if you want..."

"Oh shut up, you vile little roach!" Hermione tried to make a break for it. She tried to rush past him but he was quicker, and soon he dodged in front to block her escape, "Are you kidding me!"

"You're going to cave to me eventually," Draco chuckled, "it's just a matter of time."

"What do you want from me?"

"Coffee."

"For now," Hermione scoffed.

"Just coffee. I promise," Draco tried his best to sound as genuine as he possibly good. He'd become an excellent liar over the years.

"Tell me why."

"Why what?" Draco asked.

"Why you're making such an effort to get me to hang out with you."

"Because," Draco sighed, "I was an asshole to you and I'm hoping to make it up to you."

"Why were you so mean?" Hermione asked, softening slightly.

"Because Kingswright has never let in students without ties or background with the school. You were an outsider and I...I was angry about that. But I'm sorry and I want to treat you to coffee and to just talk. If that's alright with you."

"Alright with me?" Hermione rolled her eyes again, "You aren't giving me much of a choice."

"So you'll let me buy you a coffee?" Draco's face lit up slightly and Hermione couldn't help but smile. He looked so excited about something as simple as going for coffee.

"Fine," she caved, "But don't think this means anything. I still think you're a slimy, slithering cad."

Draco grinned as Hermione shut the door behind her. He casually threw his arm over her shoulders again and said, "Let's just see if I can't change your mind."


End file.
